Are we getting an unfair reputation?

[Richinns]

Three players sent off in two games and the manager also sent to the stands. All this since those stats were released which showed we have committed the most fouls to date in the league and have received a lot of yellow cards.

The officiating is useless enough to use this information to justify their recent decisions but truth be told we are far from a dirty team and now seemingly have been punished unduly. It also seem opposition teams are now playing up to this and throwing themselves around, screaming like they are extras being culled in 'Platoon' and surrounding/bullying officials. These decisions likely cost us a win Saturday and a point last night.

It has also cost us three first team players (a lot for a small squad such as ours) and a likely touchline ban for our manager - all of which will have a big effect on how many points we can gain from the next few games.

Not sure how we go about changing this reputation but the cost of all of this could be the chance of promotion back to the football league this season.

[stefano]

It's easy to get rid of the reputation. Stop committing so many fouls and get in a manager who shows the right example.

[Richinns]

It's easy to get rid of the reputation. Stop committing so many fouls and get in a manager who shows the right example.

I hope this in jest and we are not back of the bandwagon of blame? (after 2 defeats)!

Was the best manager in the league two games ago! Are the fickle ones about to come out and play again??

[brucie]

Cant blame the players - Richards sending off was completely ridiculous. The referees are incompetent - we need to wise up and play the refs the same as every other team.

[Kit_robin]

Cant blame the players - Richards sending off was completely ridiculous. The referees are incompetent - we need to wise up and play the refs the same as every other team.

How do you know? You weren't there! I thought the first was harsh but borderline, and second was a yellow. Admittedly I would t say he had been particularly dirty during the gam,e, but if an FGR player had suffered the same fate we would all have said it was justified.

We're getting a reputation because we do a lot of little fouls. I think this is partly because we are a lot smaller than other teams and use our bodies to get into bigger players. Most frustrating for me though is people like Duane who is now suspended, but I don't think got one booking from a tackle. At least 2 for dissent, and some pulls on players after the ball has gone. I know he's young, but he's not a child and needs to learn quickly.

[MidDevon]

It's in black and white for everyone to see

http://www.thefa.com/football-rules-governance/fairplay

Once it is updated from last nights match we will, no doubt, be top of the league !


One thing is for certain, if we blame everyone else, such as opponents and the officials then nothing will change

Discipline is a personal issue, some our team are doing well, once the likes of Downes, Ajala and Young sit out a match or two and, in some cases, put their first team place at risk, this will hopefully sort itself out.

I am sure CH will fine himself and possibly needs to be banned from the touchline himself for a game or two

[ferrarilover]

I'm not sure what we can do any differently. We don't do anything more or more serious than anyone we face and we get men booked and sent off left, right and centre.

Last night was a great example. The murderer came on and, within about 90 seconds, had booted over Big Mac (I think) about 10 minutes after the ball had gone. Ref gave the foul, but did nothing more, not even a talking to. Minutes later, he tussels with the same player, throws him round and swings an elbow and the referee books both.

He booked Duane for being upset for being blown up at a corner when he wasn't fouling his man. We had Richards booked twice in two tackles, both of which were fouls but neither was a stick on, sorry-mate-I've-got-no-option caution. Just the same as Ajala on Saturday. Referees are deliberately choosing to send off our players, even when they have plenty of latitude to keep them on the pitch.

Add to this a linesman who couldn't see that fat boy Parkin was about 350 miles offside for his goal and a manager sent to the stands for speaking to the ref at HT and it does become quite difficult to accept that something isn't amiss.

Matt.

[MidDevon]

Matt

The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act means that you are leaving yourself wide open with comments like that

[Dave_Pougher]

All valid points, I just think we should wise up to the playing the red game. Hate to admit it but if you can't beat em join em. Was it Richards first booking? As soon as the FGR player realised he had been booked, he got up, and ran off, objective achieved.

Had McDonald gone down when Hughes swung that elbow the ref would have had no choice but send him off, don't like it anymore than the next man but perhaps that is what he should have done.

As I see it the only thing CH needs to do is tell the players to start doing the same as the opposition with regard to falling down. Training session in drama required.

[Behind-the-Gulls]

Bowman and Downes sending offs were justified and some of our bookings have been due to silly reactions/behaviour from the players involved,
but we don't behave like a "dirty team" generally and we certainly don't have players in the squad who are thugs,or even particularly physical.
So yes,I believe the reputation we are getting is somewhat unfair.

[Neal]

Are we are dirty team NO
Are refs conspiring against Torquay utd NO
Does CH need to workout what the problem is and do something about it YES

[ferrarilover]

Wow, Champions League standard obvious stating there, Neal.

Thing is, if we aren't kicking people over and the referees aren't penalising us unfairly, I haven't a clue what's left. Either we're a team of thugs who kick people about, in which case our appalling record is justified, or we're not a team of thugs and our record isn't justified, in which case referees are singling us out for another reason.

If referees were plain bad, we'd have seen as many people sent off against us as for us. We haven't. We are top of the badass motherfucker list without being a team full of badass motherfuckers. Something is amiss. I'm really not sure what Jesus can do about it. Aside from Downer, it's hardly as though he can tell out lot to stop hacking people down. For God's sake, we had a bloke booked last night for getting elbowed, how on Earth are we supposed to legislate for that?

Mid,

I appreciate your concern, it's delightfully affirming to find that a relative stranger cares enough to offer words of advice. What follows should not detract from that sentiment...




I don't care.

Matt.

[Scott Brehaut]

Matt

The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act means that you are leaving yourself wide open with comments like that

As he was sentenced to over 4 years in prison, his conviction will never be spent, he will always have to declare it and, therefore, will always be labelled as a murderer.

[Gloomy Gull]

The concern for me with the current situation is that to the officials we will become... "evil is as evil does".... i.e. the players become defined by actions rather than motives, and their "actions" are regularly deemed worthy of a card by the officials peers.

We can argue back and forth about our actions and are we more or less aggressive than any other team, but sadly as the final sanction rests with the officials we HAVE to start improving the number of cards we are receiving before the team has a target on their individual backs before they reach the pitch.

[tomogull]

Are we are dirty team NO
Are refs conspiring against Torquay utd NO
Does CH need to workout what the problem is and do something about it YES

Perhaps a tad over-simplification, but basically right. In the six home games, I don't recall a bad or dangerous tackle by a Gulls player. Bowman didn't make contact with his 'head butt' even though the Southport player rolled around in the throes of death, but Bowman's red card was deserved. We are giving away too many unnecessary free kicks - in most cases, over eagerness to win the ball. O'Achie seems to pick up bookings for simply being a big lad - several of the free kicks given against him have been very soft to say the least. Strangely, most refs and assistants have missed the numerous times he is having his shirt tugged.

I do think when a manager goes over the top when 'discussing' decisions with a referee as Hargreaves must have done last night, the ref, probably sub-consciously, is subsequently a bit harder on that manager's team.